Time analyzer



June 25, 1963 A. DUBE ETAL TIME ANALYZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1961 1% Z WM A. W/ #4 y 14/ far/law.

June 25, 1963 A. DUBE ETAL 3,095,253

TIME ANALYZER Filed June 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f M TITLE DATE I NV EN TORS. 14/ F/Ff J 0055' arker [far/4r I if/aways.

3,095,253 TIME ANALYZER Alfred Duhe and John A. Kasper, Lincoln, Ill., assignors to Stetson China Company, Lincoln, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 9, 1961, Ser. No. 116,088 3 Claims. Cl. 346-20) ,This invention relates to time analyzing devices and has particular relation to means for recording expenditure of time in the performance of specific work functions.

Another purpose is to provide a data collection mech anism of minimum size and maximum simplicity.

Another purpose is to provide a data collection mechanism which may be worn on the wrist of the wearer in the manner of a wristwatch.

Another purpose is tto provide a wristwatch mechanism with means of maximum simplicity for collection of worktime expenditure data.

Another purpose is to provide a data recording system and method for recording time expenditure during the work day.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

We illustrate our invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view with parts shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the bottom with parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a half section on an enlarged scale and taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a detail view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a detail view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a detail view illustrating a data collection card useful in the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail view illustrating a data recording portion of the invention.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1, the numeral 1 indicates generally a watch case. While the case 1 has the general configuration of a wristwatch case, for example, it will be understood that the case 1 may be of greater depth or diameter than the common wristwatch case without departing from the nature and scope of the invention. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the case 1 has a bottom portion 2 and a cover portion 3 hingedly secured to the bottom portion 2, as indicated generally at 4. Strap or wrist band supports are indicated at 5 and extend from the base 2 for reception of a strap, portions of which are indicated at 6. Indicated schematically at 7 in FIGURE 3 is an ordinary Watch mechanism. Since the details of the watch mechanism itself are not material to the invention, and since any suitable watch mechanism may be employed, the details thereof are not illustrated herein. An upstanding central post 8 is rotated by the watch mechanism 7 and has a rectangular upward extension 9. The base 2 has an overlying plate 10 from which a U-shaped member 11 rises at the periphery thereof.

The U-shaped member 11 forms a slot 12 which communicates at its open end with the periphery of plate 10. The plate 10 has a depressed portion 13 forming a bottom for the slot 12 and which extends to the periphery of plate 10. It will be observed that the member 11 rises to the level of the base of enlargement 9.

An ordinary watch winding knob is shown at 14. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, a hook 15 is secured to a shaft 16 of the watch winding mechanism, the winding mechnited States Patent 0 ice ianism being arranged for slida'ble movement in base 2, and when moved inwardly causes inward movement of member 15 to disengage the hook 15 from a locking abutment 17 on the inner surface of the circumferential wall of cover 2.

The cover 3 is spring loaded toward open position in any suitable manner, as by the spring 18. A manually engageable button segment 20 rises from a point adjacent the periphery of cover 2 and in vertical alignment with the slot 12 in plate 10. Downwardly extending beneath the button 20 and from the inner surface of the top of cover 3 is a cutter bar 21 having a width and extension only slightly less than those of slot 12.

A record or data collection member is indicated generally at 22 and illustrated in plan view in FIGURE 6. The card 22 has a central aperture 22a having the planar configuration of the enlargement 9. I illustrate, for example, a rectangular enlargement 9 and a rectangular aperture 22a formed and adapted to receive the enlargement 9. The member 22 may be formed of paper or relatively thin cardboard and carries markings 23 which are twenty-four in number and circumferenti ally spaced on card 22, the markings 23 comprising radial lines and being correlated with the rotation of enlargement 9 and the consequent rotation of card 22 to provide half-hour markings.

Illustrated in FIGURE 7 is a data recording member comprising a card having areas provided across the upper edge thereof for listing of basic information such as the name of the worker, etc. Arranged in a circle having a diameter greater than the diameter of the card 22, is a series of numbers corresponding to the face of a clock. Lines 24 are arranged on the data recording card 30, illustrated in FIGURE 7, and extend radially from the center thereof to form continuations of the lines 23 on card 22. Each of the lines 24 terminates at a point inwardly spaced from the adjacent edge of card 30 and the terminal ends of each of the lines 24 are joined by individual horizontal lines 25 which extend to the adjacent side edges of card 30.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

At the beginning of the Work day, the employee places a fresh card 22 in the watch case 1, the aperture 22a being fitted over the enlargement 9. The watch mechanism 7 is, if necessary, wound and the employee proceeds with his normal duties. As the work day progresses, the card 22 is caused to rotate, in response to normal operation of the clock mechanism 7, the lines 23, adjacent the periphery of card 22, thereby being moved beneath the cutter member 21 and over the slot or Well 12.

Should the worker be called away from his normal duties to perform an extraneous duty, or to devote time to something outside his normal duties, for example, it is only necessary that the button 20 be pressed. In so doing, the wearer causes downward movement of cover 3 against the action of spring 18 to press the cutter bar 21 through the portion of card 22 underlying thec utter 21 to cut one of the slots such as that indicated at 31 in FIGURE 6. When the worker returns to his normal duties, he again presses the button 20 to cut the slots such as that shown at 32 in FIGURE 6. When the work day is ended, the operator merely presses button 14 to disengage lock 15 from the cover 3, the cover 3 springs open and the worker removes the card 22 and delivers it to an appropriate employee who then places the card 22 within the numbered circle on the card 30, aligning the marks 23 on the card 22 with the corresponding lines 24 on the card 30. The worker then explains the basis for any slots 31, 32 as may appear on the card 22. In the case illustrated in the drawings, for example, the worker will explain the cause of his devoting a period from 3 oclock to 4:25, whereupon the reason for his departure from normal work 3 duties will be written on the nearest horizontal line on the card 7, in this case, the line intersecting the numeral 4. If desired, or necessary, the reasons for the expenditure of non-duty time could be written on any or all of the horizontal lines 25 running between the punches or slots 31, 32 in the card 22.

Whereas a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that further modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing specification. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be taken as merely illustrative and not definitive, and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the following appended claims.

We claim:

1. A time analyzer comprising a substantially circular watch case, a watch mechanism in said case, a central post driven within said case -by said watch mechanism, a circular data collection card rotatably secured to said post Within said case, a spring-loaded cover for said case, said cover being pivotally mounted at one side area of said cover and case, an integral cutter bar member downwardly depending within said cover and overlying a peripheral portion of said collection card at a point substantially diametrically opposed on said cover from said area of pivotal mounting, a plate covering said watch mechanism within said case, said post extending through said plate, said plate having a U-shaped abutment uprising from a peripheral portion thereof and positioned beneath and supporting said peripheral portion of said card, said abutment defining a well having a length and width only slightly greater than the length and width of said cutter bar, said cutter bar being movable into and out of the area within said abutment well in response to movement of said cover toward and away from said plate to sever a portion of said card from the remainder of said card.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized by and including a winder shaft slidable axially in the circumferential wall of said case and engaging said watch mechanism, a hook member secured to said shaft and uprising therefrom into said cover to engage said cover when said shaft is in its outermost position.

3. A time analyzer and recording assembly comprising a watch case, a watch mechanism in said case, a central post driven by said Watch mechanism, a circular data collection card secured to said post for rotation therewith, said data collection card having at least 24 equispaced radial indicia lines on at least one face there- 'of, a spring-loaded cover for said case, an integral cutter bar member within said cover and overlying a peripheral portion of said card, and a data recording member comprising a recording card larger than said data collection card, a representation of a clock face centrally positioned on said recording card and having a diameter greater than that of said data collection card, said recording card having a plurality of equispaced radial indicia lines equal in number to said lines on said collection card and constituting, when said collection card is positioned concentrically Within said clock face representation, aligned extensions thereof, said recording card lines extending through said clock face representaton and havng angularly disposed, spaced, parallel end segments extending to adjacent edges of said recording card, said recording card lines defining data recording areas surrounding said clock face representation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 227,641 Newman May 18, 1880 281,301 Rose July 17, 1883 1,198,953 Phelps Sept. 19, 1916 1,446,735 Clarage Feb. 27, 1923 2,511,763 Batt June 13, 1950 

1. A TIME ANALYZER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR WATCH CASE, A WATCH MECHANISM IN SAID CASE, A CENTRAL POST DRIVEN WITHIN SAID CASE BY SAID WATCH MECHANISM, A CIRCULAR DATA COLLECTION CARD ROTATABLY SECURED TO SAID POST WITHIN SAID CASE, A SPRING-LOADED COVER FOR SAID CASE, SAID COVER BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE SIDE AREA OF SAID COVER AND CASE, AN INTEGRAL CUTTER BAR MEMBER DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING WITHIN SAID COVER AND OVERLYING A PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID COLLECTION CARD AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED ON SAID COVER FROM SAID AREA OF PIVOTAL MOUNTING, A PLATE COVERING SAID WATCH MECHANISM WITHIN SAID CASE, SAID POST EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PLATE, SAID PLATE HAVING A U-SHAPED ABUTMENT UPRISING FROM A PERIPHERAL PORTION THEREOF AND POSITIONED BE- 